In support of the legislation submitted by Feinstein at the Federal level.

Quote:

AJR 5, as introduced, Gomez. Firearms: assault weapons.

This measure would urge the President and Congress of the United States to support and pass Senator Dianne Feinsteinís proposed legislation prohibiting the sale, transfer, importation, and manufacturing of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines.

WHEREAS, Assault weapons are a class of semiautomatic firearms designed with military features that allow those weapons to shoot large amounts of fire quickly and accurately. They are distinguishable from standard sporting firearms by features such as pistol grips and the ability to accept a detachable magazine; and

WHEREAS, Assault weapons have been used in many shootings, including the December 14, 2012, Newtown, Connecticut, school shooting where a man used a .223 caliber Bushmaster semiautomatic assault rifle with a 30-round magazine resulting in the deaths of 20 children and six adults; and

WHEREAS, The federal assault weapons ban, passed in 1994 with the strong leadership of Senator Dianne Feinstein, banned certain models of semiautomatic assault weapons and large-capacity magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition. The ban expired on September 13, 2004, and has not been reauthorized; and

WHEREAS, A United States Department of Justice study found that the federal assault weapons ban was responsible for a 6.7 percent decline in total gun murders; and

WHEREAS, The use of assault weapons in crime declined by more than two-thirds by about nine years after the 1994 federal assault weapons ban took place; and

WHEREAS, Since the expiration of the federal assault weapons ban, 37 percent of police departments reported seeing a noticeable increase in criminalsí use of assault weapons; and

WHEREAS, Since the expiration of the federal assault weapons ban, assault weapons have been used in at least 459 incidents, resulting in 385 deaths and 455 injuries; and

WHEREAS, Senator Feinstein has announced that she will introduce a bill in January 2013 to ban the sale, transfer, importation, and manufacturing of military-style assault weapons and large-capacity magazines; and

WHEREAS, The proposed legislation will cover 120 specifically named firearms, certain other firearms that can accept a detachable magazine and have one or more military characteristics, and large-capacity magazines capable of accepting more than 10 rounds; and

WHEREAS, The proposed legislation will strengthen the 1994 federal assault weapons ban by moving from a two characteristic test to a one characteristic test, adding a ban on the importation of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, and eliminating the 10-year sunset that allowed the original ban to expire; and

WHEREAS, The proposed legislation will require that grandfathered weapons be registered under the National Firearms Act, bans the transfer of grandfathered large capacity magazines, imposes a safe storage requirement for grandfathered firearms, and establishes a voluntary buy-back program for grandfathered assault weapons and large-capacity magazines; and

WHEREAS, The proposed legislation protects legitimate hunters and the rights of existing gun owners by grandfathering weapons legally possessed on the date of enactment, exempting over 900 specifically named weapons used for hunting and sporting purposes, and exempting antique, manually operated, and permanently disabled weapons; and

WHEREAS, Senator Feinstein has been working with her staff for over a year on this proposed legislation to take the most dangerous weapons of war off the streets while protecting the rights of gun owners; and

WHEREAS, Because our borders are porous and only a small number of states regulate assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, without a comprehensive federal law even states that take steps to protect their communities from these weapons are vulnerable to criminals who use them; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature urges the President and the Congress of the United States to support and pass Senator Feinsteinís proposed legislation prohibiting the sale, transfer, importation, and manufacturing of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States, and to the author for appropriate distribution.